The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. X.

Maximinus wageth battayle with Licinnius, and is ouercome, he rageth against his inchaunters, he publisheth an Edict in the behalfe of the Christians, at length dyeth miserably.

WHen as he was no longer able to sustayne the weyght of the Empire, which vnworthe∣ly he had chalenged vnto him selfe, but went about his affaires otherwise then became him, through want of skill beynge voyde of a moderate minde required in an Empe∣rour, and vnaduisedly puffed in minde with ouerflowinge arrogancie and pride: he presumed to waxe stately against his fellowe Emperours, farre excellinge him in lynage and learninge, in worthinesse and wisdome, but especially agaynst him which passed all other in wisdome and pie∣tie towardes the true God, and to chalenge vnto him selfe the maiestie of the chiefe Emperour. He became so furious and madd that he broke the league made with Licinnius, and raysed an irre∣conciled* 1.1 battaile. In short space therfore with all might, he molested in maner euery cytie, and hauing gathered all his host together, and mustred a multitude of many millions of souldiers, he marcheth to battayle and directeth the forefront of his bande agaynst him, trustinge in deuils whome he tooke for gods, and was arrogant because of his infinite multitude of armed souldiers. But in the skirmishe it selfe, he is destitute of Gods helpe, and God the one and the onely ayder & succourer of all mē, giueth the victory to Licinnius: & first of all the force of armed souldiers wher∣in he trusted fayleth him, afterwardes he was left alone, destitute of all companie, forsaken of the souldiers that were about him which fled vnto the cōquerour, the vnhappy man put of quickly the imperiall attire not pertayning vnto him, timorous, cowardy, and effeminate, he ioyneth him self to the multitude and flyeth away, and hiding him selfe in fields and villages, he hardly escaped the hand of the enemy, while by all meanes he sought to saue his life, in very deede notably approuing the holy scripture, & shewing for manifest trueth where it was sayd: There is no king that can be* 1.2 saued by the multitude of an host, neither is any mightie man deliuered by much strength. A horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man, neither shall he deliuer any man by his greate strength. Beholde the eye of the Lorde is vpon them that feare him, and vpon such as trust in his mercy that he may deliuer their soules from death. After this sort the tyrant subiect to most vile shame and reproche came to his owne coasts, and first of all being stroken with rage & madnesse, he slewe many priests and prophets of their gods, whome before he had suspected, and by the pro∣curement and trust of whose oracles he had taken armour vpon him to wage battaile▪ as inchaun∣ters & deceauers, which also had villanously betraied his person, afterwards whē he had glorified the God of the Christians, and ordayned a most perfect and absolute decree in the behalfe of their

libertie, sodainly vexation ended his life, so that there remained no time afterwards for him to de∣liberate, the lawe which he published was thus.

The coppie of Maximinus the tyrants constitution in the behalfe of the Christians translated out of Romaine letters into the Greeke tonge.

The Emperour Caesar, Caius, Valerius, mighty, lord of Germanie, lorde of Sarmatia, gratious,* 2.1 fortunate, puissant Augustus. It is requisit that without ceasing we prouide for the prof•••• of our prouincials & by all meanes that we be willing to exhibit those things vnto them whereby they may obtaine such things as may chiefly profit thē. The things which auaile for publique profit & cōmoditie, the aduātage of the cōmō wealth & pleasing vnto euery mā, we are well perswa∣ded that there is none but knoweth thē very well▪ that euery one hath recourse vnto that vvhich is done, & that euery wight in the world vnderstādeth of our affaires. whē as afore time it came to our knowledge, that for the same cause (for the which it was cōmaūded by Diocletian & Ma∣ximinian, our progenitors of famous memory, the synodes & assēblies of the christians should be cutt shorte) many were troubled & spoiled by the officials, & the same as yet we perceaue to be further practised against our louig subiects, whome chiefly as reasō requireth we ought to pro∣uide for, whose substāce was takē away. by our letters sent vnto the presidēts throughout euery prouīce of our dominiōs the last yere we haue decreed: that if any were disposed to cleaue vnto such ceremonies, or to addict thē selues vnto the obseruatiō of that religion, it might be lawfull for thē without offēce to follow their owne wil, & that they should be hīdred or forbiddē by no mā. our pleasure was moreouer that without feare & suspitiō they should vse that seruice which pleased euery mā best. Neuertheles you can not be ignorāt of this, that certaine iudges despised our decrees & made our subiects vncertaine of our edicts, & to haue done it of set purpose, that they might the lōger abide in those rites which pleased thē better. That therfore hereafter all su∣spiciō, doubt & feare may be remoued, we haue decreed to publishe this edict, wherby it may appeare manifest vnto all mē that it may be lawfull for thē as many as will follow that opinion & religiō, by this our gracious gift & letters patēts, as euery one listeth & is delited, so to vse that religiō which him pleaseth, & after his owne maner to exercise the same. Besides this also is per∣mitted vnto thē that they may buyld places of praier for the lord. last of al that this our gyft may be the greater, we haue voutchsafed to decree that also: that if any house or manours heretofore belōging vnto the christians title, by the cōmaundement of our auncetors haue passed vnto the crowne, either presently enioyed by any citie either otherwise soulde, or giuen to any man for a reward, all these we haue cōmaūded, they should be reuoked, to the aunciēt right of the chri∣stiās, wherby all may haue experiēce of our pietie & prouidēce in this behalfe.

These words of y^• tyrāt, not one yeare being fully past, followed y^e edicts which against y^• christiās were ingrauen in pillers▪ & to whome a litle before we seemed prophane, impious, & the plague of all mankind, so y^• he forbad vs to dwell not only in y^• cities but also in y^e fields, yea & in y^e desert: by y^• same mā, edicts & iniunctiōs are decreed nowe in y^e behalfe of the christians: & they which of late were in perill of fire & sword, & the rauenous deuour••g of beasts & ••oules of y^e aire before y^• tyrāts face, & suffred all sort of paines & punishmēts, & miserable ends of this life as prophane & impious persōs: vnto thē now it is permitted, opēly to exercise & vse y^e christiā religiō, & to buyld places for praier vnto the Lord, againe y^• tyrāt affirmeth this vnto thē y^t they may enioy certaine rights & priuiledges. whē* 2.2 he had proclaimed this his protestatiō therfore in y^e ende he receaued this, in stead of recōpence, y^• endurīg y^• lesser tormēt which by right he shold haue suffred, he being strickē of God w^t a sodaine plague frō aboue, should die in y^• second skirmishe of y^• battaile. he dyed not as captaines in warre fighting mātully in battaile for their cōtry, for vertue & their friends, are commōly wōt to endure couragiously a glorious death: but like an impious persō & a rebell to God (his army as yet lyīg in y^e field, & he tarying at home & in secret) he suffreth dew punishmēt, being strokē with a sodaine plague of God ouer all his body so y^t he was vexed w^t great torments & griefes, pyned away with hūger, fell downe frō his bed, his fleshe altogether wasted by inuisible fire sent from aboue, so y^t it consumed, dropped away, & lost al y^e fashiō of y^e old forme, whē as there remained nothīg vnto him saue onely the bare bones like a paynted image, dryed vp of a longe time. Neyther did the behol∣ders take his bodie for other then the sepulcher of the soule, buryed in a body that was nowe dead, and all together consumed. When that as yet he burned more vehemently then the boyling bathes are wōt, out of y^e inward closets of y^e marow, his eyes lept forth & passing their bounds left* 2.3

him blinde. but he breathing as yet in these torments making his confession vnto the Lorde, cal∣led for death, and at length confessing himselfe to haue suffred these thinges iustly, and in steede of reuengment, for the madnesse he presumed and practised against Christ Iesu, gaue vp the ghost.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Maximinus wageth bat∣taile with Li∣cinnius.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 33.
• * 2.1

  Cap 10. in the Greeke. Maximin{us} in the behalfe of the Chri∣stians. He dissem∣bleth with his subiects.
• * 2.2

  The death of Maximinus the tyrant. God plagued Maximinus. Famine. Inward bur∣ning. Hewme.
• * 2.3

  Blindnesse. His last con∣fession.